Deals
Clearwire Gives Dish’s Ergen a Win in Billionaire’s Duel
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In the battle of billionaires trying to enter the U.S. wireless market, Dish Network Corp.’s Charlie Ergen has won a round against SoftBank Corp.’s Masayoshi Son.
Clearwire Corp.’s board endorsed Dish’s $4.40-a-share bid for the company this week, spurning an offer by its majority owner Sprint Nextel Corp. The move deals a setback to Tokyo-based SoftBank, which sees a Sprint-Clearwire combination as the centerpiece of its U.S. expansion plan. SoftBank is vying with Dish to acquire Sprint, the third-largest U.S. wireless carrier.